Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Skin check and still a lot of snow

If I were a resident of DC, I would probably not be giving Mayer Fenty my vote on the basis of his snow removal efforts. This was not a good day to try to drive in for a mid-morning dermatologist appointment.

It usually takes me 15 minutes to get to the Foggy Bottom area of DC from our house in Virginia in non-rush hour. I left home at 9:45 for a 10:30 appointment, allowing a little extra time for parking. I knew I was in trouble when I-395 seemed like a parking lot, hardly moving at all. I called to say I would be late.

I used to dread these skin exams, fearing yet another melanoma or basal cell would show up. For years I have paid the price of basking in the hot Florida sun. Part of me almost wished my appointment would be canceled, because no news is never bad news.

By the time I struggled into a parking place at 11:10 and got into the office, it was empty of patients and my doctor had gone to lunch. The receptionist said I would be the doctor’s first patient upon his return.

When he finally did see me and while he scanned every centimeter of my body for any sign of trouble, we talked about retirement. He said he is not doing much Mohs surgery any longer, instead letting his three children who are all in practice with him do it.

He is such an ardent Republican. As such, he was always the first choice when the Reagans and the Bushes needed surgery for skin cancer. He operated on one President and another First Lady. One of these was in his office, which was then filled with Secret Service. He actually did house calls to the White House, once making small talk with the President for 15 minutes.

But most of his patients are people just like me, who rely on his eagle eyes to detect skin cells gone awry. I came away with a clean bill of health today and made an appointment for August. In between I will see another skin specialist for another set of eyes.

Meanwhile back on the streets, I observed people struggling with things like parking and boarding a bus. There is still no clear path between the street and the sidewalk, meaning everyone has to work hard to negotiate the remaining piles of snow.